1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for determining an optimum delivery route for articles, which are preferably applicable to material handling robots for loading, transporting, and unloading articles.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some conventional material handling robots are designed as a playback robot, as disclosed in Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 52-115064, for example. Basically, a playback robot operates as follows: The operator takes the playback robot through a training process to teach the path of the end effector to the robot with a teaching box or the like, and stores data of the path of the end effector in a robot controller. When the robot operates, it automatically delivers workpieces with the end effector based on the stored data of the path thereof.
However, the training process that the operator carries out to instruct the robot with the teaching box or the like is time-consuming. In addition, the operator is required to be highly skilled to determine an optimum path for the end effector, i.e., a path for delivering workpieces along a shortest distance within a shortest period of time safely without any possible collision with obstacles. As a result, the cost of delivery of workpieces with the robot is relatively high.